Recipe for disaster or opportunity for improvement?

The coming epidemic is going to highlight the societal flaws and failures of our country. Hopefully the worst case scenario does not happen. I hope I’m not being overly pessimistic, but as an RN my mind is full of these kind of thoughts:

1. There are too many people in this country who are not insured or are underinsured. They are unlikely to get prompt medical care due to cost. And how many of these people can absorb the costs of a hospital stay, or even worse, an ICU stay? The potential for life-long devastating financial ruin for both those who become severely ill and their families is very real. Will the government pay for all the individual healthcare costs of those who are affected?

2. Many workers, especially those with low paying jobs, do not get paid days off or paid sick days. The decision to work or not means that they either get a day’s pay or lose a day’s pay. So many people go to work sick because they can’t afford to take even one day off. And they could infect their coworkers and customers and the epidemic churns on. Will some sort of special arrangement be made to support victims financially and insure that they don’t lose their job for being ill and absent?

3. The government has not prepared for an epidemic or pandemic, including stockpiling medication, supplies and equipment. Funding for the NIH, CDC and other agencies has been cut. Supplies are limited. Many people who get a severe case of Coronavirus need ventilator support to breathe. We do not have an infinite number of ventilators in the US. How will this be handled? In the past years, we’ve had episodes of shortages of IV supplies and certain medications under normal circumstances. How will we be able to meet the needs in an epidemic? The response to this potential epidemic is slow and disorganized and anything but proactive.

4. We do not live in a walled off island in the middle of the world, despite what some people think. We have a President whose arrogance and superiority make him less likely to cooperate with other countries in developing a world-wide plan to combat Coronavirus if one is needed.

Thanks for listening!

Doctor at NY Presbyterian Hospital calls Coronavirus testing accessibility a scandal

“I’m here to tell you, right now, at one of the busiest hospitals in the country, I don’t have it at my finger tips,” he said. “I still have to make my case, plead to test people. This is not good.


https://www.cnbc.com/2020/03/02/coronavirus-new-york-city-doctor-has-to-plead-to-test-people.html

Just some musings about the effects of Coronavirus on universal healthcare:

If we have a Coronavirus epidemic or pandemic in the US, many minds may be changed about universal healthcare. The government may be forced to provide care for the uninsured or poorly insured or even the well-insured who exhaust all benefits during their Coronavirus illness.(Of course, that is if the heartless Republicans allow assistance).Once the dust has settled, the idea of universal healthcare may be more popular than ever in the general public. What do you think?

Boris Johnson cancels trip to US after the toddler has a hissy

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has canceled a trip to the US planned for next month after a furious phone call from President Donald Trump in which Trump slammed down the phone on the prime minister.

Johnson had been due to visit Washington last month but repeatedly delayed the trip after a series of rows with the president over Iran, Huawei, and a rejected request by the prime minister to extradite the wife of a US diplomat.




https://www.businessinsider.com/boris-johnson-cancels-visit-donald-trump-slammed-phone-down-apoplectic-2020-2

I had a terrible day today. Everything went wrong. Thank you for cheering me up with the heart!

The Lincoln Project

Rick Wilson was on Bill Maher’s show last night talking about this PAC that he and some other Republicans formed. Their goal is to prevent trump from getting reelected and Wilson said they are going to go real hard on this problem. George Conway and Steve Schmidt are also part of the PAC. I’m thinking of donating. What do you think?

I fear for the safety of some people after trump is found not guilty next week. Namely, the

whistleblower and Adam Schiff. There are no limits to what trump will do for revenge. He will certainly see the verdict as carte blanche to do anything his little heart desires.

Does anyone want to take a bet whether Bolton comes forward with info within the next few days?

I can’t figure out what his game is.

"She's going to go through some bad things" and "Take her out."

Somehow that doesn’t sound like getting ready to fire somewhere. Sounds like a demand for a mob hit.

"There is nothing that rises to the level of removing a duly elected President from office"

I finally received a response to my email from Rob Portman, I quote; “ I will faithfully perform my duty and listen to all the facts of the case. However, based on what has been presented thus far, there is nothing that rises to the level of removing a duly elected President from office.”
Well then, Mr. Portman, what does??